San Diego Border Community Rallies to Support Jose Gutierrez

Home»Arizona»San Diego Border Community Rallies to Support Jose Gutierrez

Posted on Mar 28, 2014

3 years later, family of man beaten by border agents denounces CBP’s culture of violence and impunity

Justice for Jose Gutierrez
Border Community Protest

2:00 pm, Saturday March 29, 2014

U.S. International Border Crossingat San Ysidro/Tijuana

San Diego: Border residents from San Diego are rallying Saturday to support the family of Jose Gutierrez who continue to denounce the brutal beating he endured 3 years ago at the hands of 11 Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents at the San Luis Port of Entry as he attempted to cross back into the U.S. to reunite with his family.

Shena Gutierrez, the wife of Jose, released this statement on behalf of their family:

“Three years ago, our lives completely changed when Jose was handcuffed and taken from us to be deported to Mexico, a country he had not seen in over 3 decades. We did not think things could get any worse until March 30, 2011, when Jose was brutally beaten into a coma by Border Patrol agents. For 3 years we have been fighting for justice. The release of four names out of the eleven agents involved in the beating of my husband is not good enough! We want ALL names released! We want justice, accountability and transparency!”

Since the incident occurred three years ago, Shena Gutierrez has become an outspoken advocate in defense of her husband and other border families who have been affected by border brutality and abuse of power. On a few occasions, she has traveled to Washington D.C. to speak to members of Congress who have been made aware of the lack of accountability and oversight within the nation’s largest law enforcement agency.

Last June, she joined with the families of Anastasio Hernandez Rojas and Valeria Munique Tachiquin in a video asking their Senator to equip Border Patrol with body worn-cameras, which CBP has committed to, but has not yet implemented. Last week, the request was once again raised, this time to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson.

National and international pressure continues to mount to bring transparency, accountability and oversight to CBP which has been described by many to be an agency out-of-control.

Just yesterday, the United Nation’s Human Rights Committee scrutinized CBP, recommending the implementation of directives to prevent excessive use-of-force. Furthermore, the committee urged the agency to report incidents, and to investigate and punish agents involved in known cases if found guilty. See section 11 of the Advance Unedited Version of the committee’s observations of the United States’ human rights violations.